Giants lose in 10th in Vogelsong's return

Updated 11:34 pm, Friday, August 9, 2013

Ryan Vogelsong threw 103 pitches and held the Orioles to two runs over six innings.

Ryan Vogelsong threw 103 pitches and held the Orioles to two runs over six innings.

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: J.J. Hardy #2 of the Baltimore Orioles is congratulated by Brian Roberts #1 after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on August 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) less

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: J.J. Hardy #2 of the Baltimore Orioles is congratulated by Brian Roberts #1 after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park ... more

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: Chris Tillman #30 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on August 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) less

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: Chris Tillman #30 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on August 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. ... more

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: Ryan Vogelsong #32 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at AT&T Park on August 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) less

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 09: Ryan Vogelsong #32 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at AT&T Park on August 9, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. ... more

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro dives in vain for a single off the bat of Baltimore Orioles' Matt Wieters in the third inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron) less

San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro dives in vain for a single off the bat of Baltimore Orioles' Matt Wieters in the third inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. (AP ... more

The night he swung at a pitch that broke his hand, in a May 20 victory against Washington, the Giants were five games over .500 and he was part of a World Series repeat bid. He returned to a team barely able to scratch out a win, as they should have done before losing to the Orioles 5-2 in 10 innings Friday night.

Vogelsong held a potent Orioles lineup to two runs over six innings and got no decision when the Giants tied the game on a ninth-inning Hunter Pence single. But they blew a great chance to win, then lost on three runs against Javier Lopez in the 10th.

"Against a good club like that, if you don't finish it, something like that might happen," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Lopez was one strike from a scoreless 10th when major-league home run leader Chris Davis hit a two-run double. Matt Wieters added an RBI single.

Losses like this are precisely why the Giants are playing for nothing but pride, although what few starts remain for Vogelsong carry a lot more meaning after he missed almost half a season.

"It's hard not to do something you love doing," he said. "I missed it. It felt great to be out there."

Vogelsong said he was nervous earlier in the day, but not on the mound. He allowed a first-inning run on a Manny Machado double and Adam Jones' single. J.J. Hardy hit a solo homer in the second.

After that, Vogelsong provided four shutout innings and lasted 103 pitches. He walked three and struck out four.

The one red flag was Vogelsong's velocity, normally 89-92 mph, but down to 87-89 with a couple of 90s early in the game.

Bochy said he was not concerned because Vogelsong was locating pitches and getting outs. Vogelsong said he still might be rebuilding arm strength after the long layoff.

Overall, he termed his outing "OK."

"This team can hit a little bit," Vogelong said. Indeed, he faced a lineup sporting 125 home runs, compared with 59 for the Giants.

"I felt my tempo was in and out early on," he said. "I felt it got better later on. I felt pretty good one pitch, then quick the next one. I started to get tired, but not to the point of being done. I still had something left."

The one Giants bright spot besides Vogelsong was Brandon Belt, who is surging at the plate and hit his second homer in two games, a Bondsian shot beyond the triangle in right-center field off Chris Tillman. Belt also singled to start the ninth.

Otherwise, Tillman sent the Giants' offense back into a deep sleep after it scored four runs Thursday. The Giants were not in Donovan Hand-Land anymore. Tillman struck out a career-high nine in eight innings.

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